


We’ll Be Home for Christmas

by BugheadjonesTheThird



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Bughead Christmas Fic, Bughead Secret Santa, Bughead in New York, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Tumblr Secret Santa, au-ish, bughead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 09:44:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17241968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BugheadjonesTheThird/pseuds/BugheadjonesTheThird
Summary: This year, Jughead Jones decided not to go home for the holidays. He didn’t tell anyone about his decision, and as if he’s the main character of A Christmas Carol, someone comes to pay him a visit to make sure he doesn’t have any regrets this year.





	We’ll Be Home for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this is a gift to you, @chic-cooprs (tumblr). I am your Secret Santa! I tried to follow your tastes and got a bit too excited about it in the end… Just one thing: in this story, Jughead and Betty never got together during the whole Jason thing. I know it’s hard to imagine Riverdale without Bughead, but it will be worth it! Hope you enjoy it!!

It’s the morning before Christmas, and unlike all the other years, it doesn’t seem like Christmas at all for Jughead Jones. There’s no chilly breeze making its way under his covers, no poorly wrapped gifts hidden in the closet, and if anything, he was able to sleep over 8 hours without being interrupted by any of his familiars rushing around in order to finish whatever was left for the eventual celebrations.

 

There is absolutely nothing to disturb his voluntary, holiday isolation this year. No family, no friends and not even the Christmas Ghosts have misjudged him for Ebenezer Scrooge and decided to scare him into changing his life decisions. No. He’s got nothing scheduled neither for today nor for tomorrow, and it pleases him immensely to know that, for the first time in his life, he will be spending Christmas all by himself in the comfort of the apartment he shares with his best friend.

 

Unlike him, Archie didn’t give up on spending the holidays with his father back in their hometown, and even if the ginger had repeatedly invited him to come along, Jughead politely declined, saying he had plans in New York he just couldn’t cancel. Needless to say, his best friend didn’t buy those words, even if they weren’t a complete lie. He had made plans with himself that just couldn’t— _and wouldn’t_ — be postponed anymore.

 

Even if going back to Riverdale along with his friends wouldn’t have been so bad, the raven-haired boy doesn’t regret his choices of not going home for the holidays. He knows what he’s missing back there. He’s missing the food, the smiles, the sweaters and all those warm, kind feelings from his loved ones, but he’s also missing the blood, the tears and all that crappy drama involving the Serpents and the South Side. Every years is the same pain in his ass, and he figures it’s still too early for him to miss any of that.

 

_—Of course, Betty’s gingerbread cookies tend to impress him every year, and he misses them as soon as he finishes the extra batch she usually makes just for him; but he figures he can just ask her to make him some once she’s back in New York. He’s sure they taste as deliciously as always, but this year, he’s not going back for them._

 

Jughead deserves a break from it all, and he knows that his hometown is incapable of giving him that.

 

This Christmas is his and his alone. And thus far, he’s just loving all that peace and quiet enveloping his ears.

 

As every other day since he moved into that apartment in Queens, Jughead spends another hour or so lying in before his body demands for its first dose of caffeine. He gets up, then, reaches for his beanie and puts that flannel robe over his gray, S-shirt and PJ pants before heading towards the kitchen. As always, he remembers the exact measures Betty once taught him when his father was arrested for the first time— half littler of water, 4 spoons of coffee and just a little bit of cinammon— and soon, that inebriating scent starts to fill his nostrils.

 

The smell of the first coffee of the day. And it is all his.

 

“Coffee…” He breaths in the scent after pouring some of it into his mug. “ The most important meal of the day.”

 

Jughead makes his way to the only table they have, clearing some space amongst the empty boxes of pizza he ordered last night. He finds his phone there, too, its battery almost dead after spending over 8 hours unplugged. There are a bunch of messages from Archie and his father, and even some missed calls from Betty. _Of course she called_ , he thinks. The blonde is an old soul and even if everyone around her has given up on phone calls last year —according to Veronica—, she still chooses to listen to real voices talking to her. She once told him she prefers it that way so she can always feel the emotion behind every spoken word

 

She thinks it’s important to truly listen the people around her, and even if it also exposes her own feelings, she still won’t stop calling.

 

This is Betty Cooper, after all. This is the girl he loves.

 

Ever since the first Christmas they’ve spent together at the Andrew's, Jughead knows she has a special place in his heart. He’s never tried to deny them or anything like that, and through the years, he’s noticed an unmistakable parallel between his feelings for her and the taste of her christmas cookies. At first, they felt softer against his tastebuds, the condiments used definitely not added according to her grandmother’s old recipe. She played safe at the beginning, not daring to take a step further or adding her own touch, for her main objective back then was impressing the ginger boy who didn’t really like cinnamon.

 

Those cookies never tasted like Christmas, and now, he knows that the lack of his favorite condiment was but a mere part of the explanation for it.

 

And so, the years went by, and every time she gave him her first batch of cookies of the season, he could feel the change in them. They tasted better every year. More confident and bolder; her personal touch and her own ideas clearly overcoming the need to follow the recipe, as she changed, improved and developed new ways of creating her own Christmas tradition. She was adding stronger condiments, and it was only on their sophomore year— after the incident with Jason Blossom and after her naive heart got over that red haired illusion— that Betty Cooper finally decided to add cinnamon to her recipe.

 

And— _Oh_ , those were the best cookies he has ever tasted in his life.

 

Ever since then, he gets to taste the cinnamon in most of her recipes, and if anything, he feels his heart beating faster whenever he smells that perfect, Christmassy scent filling the air. They’re sweet, strong and they contrast perfectly with a large and warm cup of dark coffee. It’s their bittersweet symphony, he tells her, making her giggle until her emerald eyes are glistering in pure joy. That’s the true meaning of Christmas for him, he knows. Betty, her cookies and coffee, all mixed up together in that one, special day.

 

He tastes her cookies only once a year, but he knows he loves her more and more during the other 364 days— 365, depending on the year.

 

If only he could’ve told her that before she went home…

 

_Well, maybe next year._

 

The bitter taste of his coffee reaches his tastebuds as he takes another sip, and before he can actually call her back, Jughead decides that it’s better to charge his phone first. He didn’t really tell her he was not going back home for Christmas, so it’s highly likely that she’s going to give him a piece of her mind for choosing to be a hermit during the holidays, and right now, he doesn’t have enough battery for that. He chuckles at the thought, already imagining the glare in her eyes and that lovely pout decorating her face as she tries her best to sound mad and not cute. Perhaps, he should have gone home just to see that lovely, angry face of hers.

 

With his phone plugged, then, Jughead proceeds with his daily routine of this holiday. He sits on the couch, laptop open on his lap, and turns on the tv to leave old cartoons as the background soundtrack while he writes a couple of paragraphs for his novel. He’s come quite far on his story in the past few months, and this alone time is doing wonders to his writing, especially sine he can focus only on his thoughts instead of on what his best friend did in order to get Veronica’s attention.

 

Jughead loves Archie like the brother he never had, but sometimes, he needs a break from the ginger’s love life.

 

Like in the past couple of days, the raven haired boy doesn’t leave that spot for at least 6 more hours. The cartoons have been replaced by the news, an episode of Friends came after that, and even that was also replaced by more news. He also plays some games, Smash Bros Ultimate included, since he just can’t find strength in himself to drop drop it ever since he went to Nintendo Store to buy it a couple of weeks ago. He stretches, then, proud of the amount of paragraphs he wrote and proud of his in-game victories; and finally decides to go after his now charged cell-phone. He will call Betty first, and after the scold, he will order some food— Italian, probably, since he’s dying for pasta lately— and resume his previous routine.And then, another day will go by like all the others so far. He will write, eat, play video games and watch as many old movies as he wants.

 

The perfect Christmas, he thinks, unlocking his phone and getting ready to call the blonde. The perfect and lonely Christmas.

 

Or so he thought…

 

After the third beep, Jughead decides to put it on the out-speaker so he can throw off some of yesterday’s leftovers and brown, paper bags. As he reaches the trash bin near the entrance door, though, his ears capture a ringtone coming from outside that, coincidentally, is in perfect synchrony with his own phone. Jughead frowns a bit, his eyes squinting a bit due to old habits, as his investigative nature is getting the best of him.

 

_It’s probably just a coincidence, right?_

 

Even if he’s still suspicious, the raven haired boy slowly returns to his phone, just in time for her voice to be heard. _Hi, this is Betty Cooper. Leave a message._ He sighs, massaging the back of his neck, and pressing the red icon on his phone. Leaving a message will be of no use, he figures, since _she_ was the one who wanted to talk to him. It will be better if he just tries again, he concludes. Maybe her hands were busy, he thought. Maybe she was away from her phone. Maybe she—

 

There’s a sudden knock on his door, and for a moment, he’s feeling a bit anxious. Many ideas cross his mind as he makes his way back to the front door, and he thinks of who could be knocking on his door when Christmas is less than 24 hours away. He’s not expecting anyone. Not that he remembers. He bought a couple of stuff on Amazon the other day, but he wasn’t expecting them to be delivered in the middle of the holidays.

 

Well, but it is America, right?

 

As sigh escapes his lips, Jughead decides to stop making predictions and just unlock the door. He’s still on his pajamas when he finally opens it, figuring the guy sent to deliver his order wouldn’t really care about such thing, but as soon as he sees the guys— _the_ _girl_ — he immediately regrets his choice of clothes.

 

His blue eyes widen, throat runs dry and his lips part as soon as he sees the one person standing just outside his apartment. Her eyes are like emeralds, her lips are like roses and her hair is brighter than the sun. Ever since he can remember, she’s been wearing those golden locks in a ponytail, and today, of all days, is no different. Betty Cooper is right in front of him. She’s in New York with him, a backpack hanging on her right shoulder and arms crossed over her chest as she holds a large, pink tupperware. She’s not saying anything, clearly not in her usual, great mood, and— _ah!_ There’s that angry-slash-cute face of hers.

 

He’s screwed. Just by looking at her face, he can already tell that. She’s clearly not happy to see him escaping Christmas, and she’s probably not happy to see him still wearing his pijamas at almost 7pm. Back then, when he decided not to go home, he knew there would be consequences to his actions, but now he knows he’s not ready to face them. To face _her_.

 

Yes. He’s _definitely_ screwed.

 

They’re just staring at each other now, the screaming silence almost unbearable in his ears. He knows there’s nothing worse than Betty’s silent treatment, and after almost 3 full minutes, Jughead decides that he needs to do something. He licks his lips, once again massaging the back of his neck before a forced smile makes its way to his face. “ Betts, what a surprise to see you—“

 

“ Don’t.” She says, firmly, holding one finger up. He swallows dry, the empathy on his face long gone by now. “ You’ve had your chance to explain my all this, Jughead. And since you didn’t, now it’s my turn to talk."

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

“ You see, every year, the three of us spend Christmas together in Riverdale. Every year, we take food and presents to Archie’s house, and we have fun, even if our parents drive us mad. It’s our tradition, Jug!”

 

“ I know, but—“

 

“ I’m not done yet!” He gulps, feeling as if this girl— who is shorter than him almost by a head— is suddenly towering over him. She’s intimidating, and he figures he should just shut up until he’s allowed to talk back. “ So, just imagine my surprise when yesterday morning, when I went after you two just to find Archie all alone in his room, complaining that his best friend was and he said still in New York. Imagine my face when I realized _you_ were giving up on our Christmas to be here all alone during the entire holiday! Seriously, Jug! What were you thinking?!”

 

“ I-I was just—“

 

“ It was a rhetorical question!” She sighs, her right hand finally massaging her temples. “ I was so pissed at you. I wanted to scream at you and— God! I was so mad!” She swallowed, unconsciously licking her lips. “ So I drove here. Yes, I left my family, I left Archie and all the others just so I could scream at you. My mom tried to stop me, but I didn’t look back. Not even once. I drove all the way back to Queens, and then, I realized I wasn’t really mad at you at all.”

 

“ I-I’m sorry, I—“ He stops, his eyes widening Y-You weren’t?”

 

“ No. I mean, yes, but also no… I envied you. I envied you because you did the one thing I wanted to do this year. You didn’t go back to that mess we call home, choosing to stay here and enjoy a nice cup of coffee without being criticized by anyone like I was.”

 

“ Was it your mom, Betts?”

 

“Who else would it be?” She takes a deep breath, then, clearly overwhelmed by this rush of emotions taking over her. It’s impossible to describe exactly how Betty’s feeling right now, but he can see that her eyes, somehow, seem to be growing softer with every words she lets out. “ But that’s not the point right now! Yesterday night, then, by the time I got back to my apartment in the city, I had decided not to ruin your plans. I figured you deserved this time alone, but then I also realized you would be spending Christmas all alone, and I would be spending Christmas alone, too, and I didn’t want that. I didn’t want us to be alone this Christmas, Jug…So I’ve spent the whole night up baking ginger bread cookies and… And now I’m here and…. And you can talk now.”

 

His eyes are widened, and even if he always has a snarky remark ready for emergencies, Jughead is completely speechless right now. He can clearly see how all of this mess is affecting her, suddenly feeling guilty for not telling her about his plans. He knows he should offer her comforting words, and he knows he should, perhaps, apologize for something, but right now his mind is a mess and his stomach is the one organ speaking for him. “…. so. You’ve brought cookies?”

 

“…. Did you seriously just hear the part about the cookies, Jughead?”

 

“ O-Of course not! It’s just… It’s a lot to take in, Betts.” He places his hands on his hips, looking down for a couple of seconds. “ First, let me just…. Why don’t you come in? We can sit, I’ll make us some coffee and we can eat the cookies. Also, I’m sure my neighbors don’t wanna hear any more of this Christmas tale.”

 

A blush spreads around her cheeks, and she looks down for a second before lowering her voice. “… that actually sounds like a good idea.”

 

“ It is a good idea, trust me.”

 

All the anger that seemed to be filling her petite body appears to be gone now, as Betty slowly— and even shyly— makes her way inside his apartment. She heads to the couch while he goes to the kitchen to prepare some coffee, and from his spot, he only watches her placing her hands over her lap. She places the cookies on the center table, leaves her things on the floor next to her feet, and as she waits for him to join her, she doesn’t say a single word.

 

Even if he clearly didn’t get all the details from the story she just told him, Jughead can clearly see how going back home took its tool on the blonde. Betty is exhausted, and it’s not only from driving and baking, for sure. Her mother must have surpassed herself with her always-so-kind words, and right now, he just can’t help but feel relieved to have her here with him.

 

He’s relieved to know she’s away from her home. And even if it’s a little selfish of him, Jughead is also happy to know she came to be with him.

 

Yes, even if it made her worried and made her recklessly drive all the way from Riverdale back to Queens all alone, Jughead is happy to have her company right now. Even if he was enjoying his lonely Christmas, being with the girl he loves tops any kind of freedom he might have been needing. She’s funny, sweet, has great taste in movies, can cook like no one else and she gets all his weird references. They’ve always spent fantastic moments just the two of them, and this time, he knows it won’t be any different.

 

A soft smile crosses his lips at the thought of them spending Christmas together, and he’s sure he’s blushing as he reaches the cabinets for two mugs. The coffee is ready, then, and after pouring some for both of them, Jughead heads back to the living room, sitting next to her. He tried to be careful, but he can’t stop their legs from brushing as he settles on the couch and offers her the warm porcelain. At first, Betty hesitates a bit, but eventually, grabs the mug from his hand, and after taking a sip from the hot liquid, it’s clear that her shoulders relax a bit. She’s a bit calmer now, and for that, he’s thankful.

 

“ So…” He starts, placing his own mug on the center table in front of the couch. He takes one cookie from the tupperware, but doesn’t eat it just yet. “ Let me see if I got it all… You’re sleep deprived, there’s flour on your sweater, you smell like cookies and all because came all the way from Riverdale just to make sure I didn’t spend Christmas alone.” He smiles softly, his blue eyes searching for hers immediately. He watches as she slowly nods, her golden ponytail bouncing up and down as she does so, a faint blush taking over her cheeks.“ You were mad, then you weren’t, and then ou were again when you got here, but I think you’re more relaxed now, right?”

 

“ A little bit…”

 

“ That’s already gonna keep me alive until New Year, I guess.” He jokes, lighting up the air before he finally eats her gingerbread cookie. As always, it’s simply delicious. He can taste happiness and joy with every chew, and Jughead can bet heaven is filled with infinite batches of her cookies. If Santa was real and got to taste her cookies, the good, old man wouldn’t leave her house so soon to continue with his anual job.

 

Christmas is certainly not the same without her cookies. And now, as he devours his third, he can say the holiday season is complete.

 

“ Yeah…” She chuckles, watching the smile on his face. Even if he doesn’t use words, Betty knows for sure he’s enjoying the cookies. “ I guess it will… Now, do you mind explaining me why on earth you decided to spend Christmas alone?”

 

“ Well…” He starts, swallowing the cookie and taking a sip of his coffee. " I guess I just needed a little time away from it all, Betts. We both know how Riverdale can be… So I just didn’t feel like going.”

 

“ I know exactly how exhausting going home can be, but how about the good things”

 

“ What about them?” He asks, his mouth filled with, at least, two cookies now.

 

“ Don’t you miss them? Don’t you think they’re more important than the bad things?”

 

“Of course they are.”

 

“ Then don’t you think you should’ve returned for the good things?”

Her voice is soft as she says those words, and for a moment, Jughead even regrets not going back home to see his old town. He thinks about his father, Toni, SweetPea and Fangs, all together celebrating Christmas with the other Serpents. He thinks about the food Mr. Andrews prepares every year, and he thinks about Pop Tate, with that bright smile of his and that cheeseburger he misses so much whenever his body is craving for a decent, fast food.

 

Perhaps, he should’ve accepted Archie’s offer.

 

But then, _this_ wouldn’t be happening. He wouldn’t be alone with Betty Cooper and her gingerbread cookies; and right now, he knows his hometown could never offer him anything to top this.

 

“ Not really. I have everything I need right here.”

 

“ Are you sere, Jug? I don’t want you to regret it later.”

 

“ 100% positive, Betts. I really needed a time away from everything related to Riverdale.”

 

“ … Oh.” Her expression changes, the corners of her mouth turning downwards. There’s a hint of sadness taking over her eyes, and his heart sinks in immediately when he sees the way she changes into a defensive mode." I-I get it… Riverdale is a mess and all, but… Did you need a time away even away from me?”

 

“ What!? No! I-I…I didn’t mean it like that, Betty! I would never need a time away from you!”

 

“ You don’t have to say such thing just to be polite, Jug.” She smiles weakly, placing her hand softly on his knee as if to calm him down. “ I-I get it. It’s your special Christmas and I really should go.”

 

“ What? No! Betts, I’m really not trying to be polite at all! You don’t have to go!”

 

“ Oh, don’t be ridiculous! You’ve planned this! I can’t be here and ruin everything!” She says, her hands already heading towards her belongings and her feet helping her stand up.

 

“ You’re not ruining anything, Betty!” He stands up, as well, a hint of despair starting to grow inside his belly. She’s clearly misunderstanding the whole thing, and knowing Elizabeth Cooper, if he doesn’t do anything asap, she’s definitely going to leave. And that’s the last thing he wants. “ I have nothing planned, and even if I did, I would cancel everything to be here with you.”

 

“ Oh my god! You do have plans! “ She says, pointing an accusing finger at him, as she starts to make her way towards the door. He’s following her steps, trying to explain himself as he does so, and finding out how hard it is to find the right words to make her stay.

 

He can’t let her go, he knows that. Now that she’s here, with him, he really can’t let her go.

 

“ No, I don’t!” He says, towering over her as she adjusts her red scarf around her neck. “ Can you just stop and listen to me?!“

 

“ You stop! Is it a date or something? Oh my, I don’t wanna get on your way!”

 

“ Betty, there’s no one! There are no plans! There are—“

 

“ I’m really sorry for coming without letting you know.” She says, clearly not paying attention to him, as her hand is already turning the doorknob. Betty is about to slip through his fingers due to a stupid misunderstanding, and he can feel his heart getting tighter as she gets closer to her objective. He doesn’t want her to go. She _can’t_ go. And as he’s suddenly taken by this primitive urge, Jughead stops her.

 

In a blink of an eye, the raven haired boy is closing the door with a loud bump before she gets a chance to open it. His abrupt movement startles her, emerald eyes wide as she’s now silently looking at his tall figure towering over her body. Her lips are parted in awe, and he knows how aware she is of how close they are. She still smells like cinnamon, and if anything, her scent is helping him think right now.

 

“ Can you just listen to me?” He says, silently, watching as she slowly nods in agreement. He’s not trying to intimidate her or anything, but that’s the only way he got to make her stop and pay attention to him. “ Betty, look… You got it wrong. When I said I needed a time from Riverdale, I was not talking about you. I really like your company. I-I… I want you here with me.”

 

“ You do?” She’s looking deep into his blue eyes now, and he watches as her body shifts so she’s standing even closer to him. From the window, a light beam enters his apartment and falls on her eyes, creating a contrast between her green irises and the darker room. His heart is beating faster and he feels like he might faint, but he knows he can’t stop the words that are coming from the depths of his heart. He can’t stop them. He won’t.

 

“ Yes, I do… Betty, I have to tell you something. I-I… I—“

 

“ You what, Juggie?” Her eyes are glistering as his nickname rolls out of her tongue, and he can’t stop himself from looking at her lips. He realizes she’s doing the same, and the blush tinging her cheeks is probably the cutest thing he’s ever seen.

 

He swallows, then, and continues from where he stopped. “ I want you to _stay_ , Betty. I want you to be with me.”

 

“ Jughead…” She loses the grip on her things, but neither of them realize when her bags hit the floor. They’re still a bit shocked after what was probably Jughead Jones’ own way of confessing his feelings, and it’s as if now they’re both waiting for the other to take the next step. Neither of them really knows how to proceed, but the silence is slowly killing him.

 

_I love you, Betty Cooper. Come on, say it, you introvert moron!_ His voice is loud inside his head as he thinks, and the air around him suddenly grows heavier. For years, he’s been waiting for the right moment to tell her about his feelings, and right now, Betty— whether she’s aware or not—is giving him the perfect opportunity to do so. They’re alone, clearly having an emotional moment, and if anything, it’s almost Christmas. It’s the perfect time for him to be honest about his true feelings.

 

_It’s now or never_ , he thinks, swallowing dry and taking a deep breath.

 

But before he can even do as much as open his mouth, softness and warmth envelops his lips, and for a moment, his entire world stops spinning. He feels a pressure on his chest as her hands are pulling him closer to her, and he’s sure she can listen to his heart hammering his rib cage. Even if his eyes can perfectly see what’s happening, his skeptical mind still can’t believe _this_ is actually happening.

 

She’s kissing him. Betty Cooper has her soft, pink lips pressed against his and it’s so much better than his imagination. The reality starts striking him, and instead of freaking out, Jughead feels himself relaxing. He’s melting into her affection, the corner of his lips turning upwards as he slowly starts to answer her kiss. He sees the blush spreading around her cheeks and— why the hell are his eyes still open!?

 

Even though his world is dark right now, Jughead swears his eyes can see an entire pallet of colors exploding in front of him. His hands are now cupping her cheeks, his thumbs brushing her soft skin as their lips move in synch. He has her pressed against his white, front door now, and it doesn’t take long before both of them deepen the kiss.

 

_And there it is_ , he thinks. The bittersweet taste of her gingerbread cookies mixed with coffee, and he feels himself slowly getting intoxicated by this feeling. Their tongues are brushing against each other, they’re sharing the same— hot, damp, heavy, suffocating— air; and it’s as if time means nothing anymore.

 

He loves this girl. He loves her and he’s kissing her, and this is probably the best moment of his entire life. It feels so true and natural, like the entire universe is conspiring on their behalf and nothing wrong can destroy their moment. They’ve earned it, he thinks, and that’s the last thing on his mind before he loses himself in her lips.

 

Jughead doesn’t know for how long that kiss lasted, but the next time he opens his eyes, he’s greeted by a disheveled, cute blonde, whose cheeks are burning red and whose parted lips seem a bit swollen. Her glazed eyes are looking deep into his soul, and it takes her a moment to finally move a muscle.

 

She’s chuckling now. A soft, light chuckle that spreads to his throat, and soon, both of them are panting and laughing at what’s just happened. Betty is trying to cover her mouth to stop chuckling, but it’s stronger than her. Her happiness is just too beautiful, and even if he wants to keep looking at her chuckle like that forever, there’re still words that need to be said.

 

“ Wow…” He starts, the corner of his mouth forming a slight smirk. “ Bold of you to assume I wanted a Christmas kiss, Cooper.”

 

She sighs, her brows arching in surprise. “ Do you always have a joke ready for everything?”

 

“ Pretty much.” He holds the smirk, his eyes still not leaving hers.

 

“ You really are impossible, Jughead! I can’t believe you’re joking after what’s just hap—“

 

“ I like you.”

 

Her eyes grow wide for a moment, as his words took her completely by surprise. She spends a couple of seconds looking at him before her expression softens again, and light smile takes over her lips. “ I know…”

 

“ You do?” He’s confused now. Sure, he’s just kissed her back and he's sure he was never good at hiding his feelings, but Jughead was certainly not prepared for that answer. “ H-How? Since when do you know?”

 

“ Well… I had my suspicious, but you know how Archie can be when he’s mad at you. He told me you liked me right after we moved to New York and you changed the wi-fi password to excelsior.”

 

“ Wow…That’s my best friend, Archibald Andrews for you.” He’s growing nervous now, a bit angry at his best friend for betraying him like that. He makes a mental note never to share any secrets with Archie again, and he’s definitely going to change that password again. “ Jeez, I can’t believe he told you that. I was supposed to be the one to tell you that when the right time came, and then you would say—“

 

She kisses him again, a quick peck this time just to stop him from spiraling.“ I like you, too, Jug.”

 

“ …Really? Are you sure?”

 

“ Of course I am, Jughead!” Betty says, a stubborn smile taking over her lips. “ I came all the way from Riverdale and kissed you right on the mouth. Why on earth would I do that if I didn’t like you?!”

 

Her words are slowly making their way to his heart, and when they do, Jughead can’t stop the smile that takes over his lips. Sure, after all they just did, it would only be safe to assume she likes him back, but hearing those words coming out of her mouth just made his heart skip a beat. Betty Cooper has just confessed her feelings for him, and right now, not a single one of his insecurities can ruin his day.

 

The girl he likes him back. She kissed him and he kissed her back. And he knows Frank Sinatra has a song that describes this exact feeling, but right now, he’s really happy to have his own, Christmas romance.

 

“ Are we really gonna do it, Betts?” His voice is low and careful, as he asks her one, last time before he can take another step into whatever this is. They’re best friends who have just confessed their feelings for each other, and even if things might be easier in the future, right now, it’s still as delicate as it can be.

 

They can ruin everything they have, they know it.

 

And yet, they can make it so much better.

 

“ Yeah, we are, Jug."

 

“ Well then…” He starts, smirking at her. “ You have a terrible taste in men, Betty Cooper."

 

Another chuckle escapes her lips, and deep inside, he knows she knows te meaning behind his jokes. “ Yeah… I don’t think I’ll ever learn.”

 

“ Maybe, spending the holidays with me might help you.”

 

“Oh, how so?”

 

“ You see… We can watch a bunch of old movies and then you can see examples of good men.”

 

“… Fair enough.” She smiles, placing her hands on her hips. " I accept your offer… But first, I really need a shower. It’s been a long day.”

 

“I bet it was…” He smiles back, and slowly, takes a step away from her to give her some space. “ I’ll go get you some towels and leave you to your bath, then, Cooper.” His feet are taking him towards his room at the end of the hallway, when suddenly, he stops, turning to face her. His eyes are on hers, and at first, he doesn’t say a word. “ Betty… I…"

 

“ …What is it, Jug?"

 

“ Just… Thank you… The cookies… They’re great.”

 

There’s a warm smile on her face, and she bites her lower lip in order to hold back the urge to run to him and hug him until he can’t breath anymore. This is the boy she loves, and if anything, Betty knows coming to New York was the best thing she did this Christmas. “ Sure. You’re welcome.”

 

And so, their perfect day goes on. She takes a shower, and as promised, they spend the lasthours of Christmas watching old movies from his collection. Everything feels genuinely natural and familiar for them, and eventually, they end up cuddled on the couch, sharing a blanket. His jokes make her laugh and his embrace keeps her warm as they watch Home Alone 2. Once they’re about to start Elf, though, the blonde falls asleep.

 

She’s tired, he knows. Her chest is moving slowly, her lips are slightly parted, and if anything, she seems to have found a good position in his arms. Even if it’s still a bit hard to believe all the things that happened today, watching her as she sleeps brings peace to his heart.

 

This evening, she barged into his apartment like Santa Claus— uninvited and unexpected—, bringing him joy and a present he could’ve never expected. His hand is resting on her shoulder, and he’s afraid that, if he moves, he might scare her and they will both have to wake up from this beautiful, winter dream.

 

He doesn’t want to wake up, no.

 

So, eventually, Jughead Jones closes his eyes, and slowly, falls asleep on this special, Christmas eve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So, what did you think?? I hope you've enjoyed it, and I would LOVE to know your opinion!! Thanks for reading!


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